Nicaragua Seeks Luxury Travelers

Feb. 6, 2013 8:00 p.m. ET

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With the charming colonial city of Granada, active volcanoes and reliable Pacific waves, Nicaragua is already popular among backpackers and surfers. But one of Nicaragua's richest men, Carlos Pellas, opened the country's first full-fledged luxury hotel last week, to court the Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton crowd. Shown, the lobby of the $40 million resort, Mukul.
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A view of the Pacific, from one of Mukul's hiking paths.
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Mukul is part of a much larger 1,670-acre project, called Guacalito de la Isla, that will eventually also include 600 residences as well as a larger hotel with about 150 rooms. Here, a view of the Mukul resort from Manzanillo Beach.
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The resort's golf course was created by the celebrated Scottish designer David McLay Kidd.
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The driving range at the golf course.
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A villa at Mukul, with a view of the Pacific Ocean and a private pool.
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A cabinet holding a TV in a villa was handcrafted by local artisans for the resort.
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Mukul's spa has six separate buildings—many with sweeping views of the beach and Pacific Ocean below—with individual themes such as 'healing hut' and 'crystal temple energy.'
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A howler monkey in a tree on the grounds of the resort.
Andrew Kaufman for The Wall Street Journal…

A day bed on Manzanillo Beach.
Andrew Kaufman for The Wall Street Journal…